Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr addressed his team’s 105-99 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, highlighting effort despite offensive struggles. “We battled, you know, both games we fought hard. Obviously we made a lot of shots against Phoenix, which was the difference. We just couldn’t get shots to go down today,” Kerr said.
The coach praised his team’s defense and rebounding while acknowledging offensive limitations. “We won the turnover battle, offensive boards, we gave ourselves a lot of opportunities. Just couldn’t generate enough offense, but I love the effort and the energy and the fight,” he added.
Kerr noted the impact of missing key players on offensive rhythm. “14 for 51, especially without Steph, without Jimmy. We know we have to make threes and just didn’t knock shots down and didn’t create enough energy and flow,” he said. Kerr also identified free throws as a critical factor in the loss. “What hurt us tonight was the free throws, just they got to the line 30 times, outscored us by 17 points. That’s kind of the difference in the game.”
Despite the defeat, Kerr highlighted positive contributions from young players. “Gui was a second round pick four or five years ago and to see his progression through the G League and becoming an important player for us, it’s fun to see that. Moses… has taken a very clear role and played really well,” he said, referencing Gui Santos and Moses Moody.
The coach also commented on defensive performance against the Lakers. “We’ve got good individual defenders and Draymond is always behind the play. I thought our defense was good enough to win the game, just couldn’t turn that into offense,” Kerr explained. He noted that the Warriors created 16 steals but converted only four points in transition.
Kerr discussed the outlook for the team with recent trade acquisitions. “We’ve been a good defensive team most of the year. I like our individual defenders. I like Draymond behind the play connecting the group. I like Al at the rim shot blocking and cleaning up the paint. We can be even better with Kristaps and Steph healthy,” he said regarding Kristaps Porzingis and Stephen Curry.
On Curry’s status, Kerr said, “Steph is doubtful for Monday and we’ll take it day by day, but I don’t expect him to play on Monday.” He emphasized the need for improved offensive flow and pace, particularly with the new roster. “We always want to get out and run and get easy baskets if we can. We have to find our way with Kristaps once he starts playing,” Kerr added.
The Warriors, now 28-25, will host Memphis on Monday, while the Lakers, at 32-19, will face Oklahoma City. Kerr acknowledged the team’s current challenges but remained focused on improvement. “The break will be coming at a good time… if we can get healthy and start to generate a little better offensive rhythm,” he said.
